Garry Monk certainly didn't come across as a man who was downbeat in the Molineux press room despite Boro's opening day defeat.

Frustrated, perhaps - but his post-match message was clear: 'Boro will get stronger', 'our best is still to come'.

The opening day of the season has rarely been a friend to Boro . The Teessiders have won just one of their last nine curtain-raisers, the exception to a cursed record being the home victory over Birmingham in August 2014.

It's not how Monk will have wanted his first competitive fixture to pan out - a defensive howler and a glorious missed chance from £9m new boy Martin Braithwaite contributing to his side's downfall at Wolves.

There were glimpses of Boro's menace in the attacking third - the best when Britt Assombalonga lashed an effort towards goal but was thwarted by goalkeeper John Ruddy.

That came moments after a handball claim involving the same two players - with the Wolves No 1 perhaps a tad fortunate not to be given his marching orders by referee Darren Bond.

But it wasn't to be, and ultimately Boro fluffed their lines in front of a sell-out Molineux crowd in the battle of the new bosses.

It wasn't all bad news. Monk will have been encouraged by Assombalonga's chances. The striker carved out two opportunities on an afternoon where he was well-marshalled by the Wolves defence.

Boro's Britt Assombalonga in action at Wolves

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Adam Clayton seems to be taking to his new 'quarter-back' role well, while Cyrus Christie - under big pressure from Wolves left-back Barry Douglas in defence - created Braithwaite's glorious opportunity out of nothing.

They were the positives - but there's plenty more work to do over the coming days to ensure Boro are battle-hardened and ready for the 46-game Championship assault.

In midfield, Jonny Howson and Marten de Roon struggled to get to grips with the game, while the gap between the midfield three and the forward line was at times too vast.

But Boro, who handed debuts to six of their seven summer signings, will get better. It's still early in the Monk project.

Only 76 days have passed since Boro's Premier League campaign came to a sorry end at Liverpool. Since then, the club has installed a new manager, embraced a new philosophy, welcomed a new coaching team and introduced several new players.

As the clock ticked down at Wolves, it became clear that only a moment of individual magic was to get Boro out of jail - and Assombalonga, after his mesmerising spin past the Wolves back-line, almost provided it.

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The team is still growing, and it will take time to knit together each of the departments.

Thankfully, history suggests losing on the opening day is far from fatal for a team's promotion prospects.

Last season's champions, Newcastle, lost their first two matches of the campaign. Burnley - who pipped Boro and Brighton to the crown in 2015/16 - did so without winning any of their first three league fixtures.

And further back, the Bournemouth side of 2014/15 won just two of their first eight league matches, losing three.

Boro were second-best at Wolves, and while everyone heads home with a tinge of disappointment after a long summer, we can all seek solace and comfort in the statistics from yesteryear.

No, Boro will not achieve promotion if they play like that week-in, week-out between now and May 2018.

But Monk is right. There's no doubt that this new-look team will improve.